With the Arab world opening up to the rest of the world, especially with the recently concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament, understanding and being able to have a basic conversation in Arabic could be a huge door opener.
Arabic is the sixth most spoken language in the world, with nearly 420 million people speaking it worldwide. Now, with its global importance, Arabic is definitely worth learning. And if you’re passionate about the language, the people, and the culture, you can use that to get to fluency even faster.
Arabic is a beautiful and rich language. But, learning it can seem daunting. Luckily, there’s an easy way to master it. You can reach fluency in Arabic in record time if you follow these steps.
How long does it take to learn Arabic?
There’s no universal number for how long it takes to learn a language – Arabic Inclusive. But, if you insist, a rough estimate by the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) indicates that you need 2200 hours or 88 weeks to reach Arabic fluency. The accuracy of this statement has not been established. This scale takes into account the difficulty of the language compared to English. Your motivation, enthusiasm, what kind of language learning method you use, and exposure to native speakers, among others, influence how long it will take you to learn Arabic.
Here are some facts to put into consideration;
- Arabic uses a completely new alphabet system.
- There is almost no shared vocabulary between Arabic and Latin-based languages. Every single word you learn is a new word.
- Arabic is a highly inflectional tongue. Subject, tense, and mood are communicated by how you inflect your tone.
- There are ten usual verb patterns, and students must memorize the conjugation and vocalization for the active and passive voices.
- Plurals and their agreements with numbers are more difficult and complex than what we are used to in English.
- Arabic is foreign to English speakers in every sense of the word.
Step 1: Decide which form of Arabic you want to learn:
There are many types of Arabic. It is the mother tongue and official language of nearly 30 countries in the middle east and northern Africa. There are different accents and a variety of local pronunciations. If you’re planning to spend time in one area, you’ll want to choose the variation that pertains to that region.
Step 2: Start with the basics:
It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to learn Arabic by transcribing words instead of learning the Arabic alphabet first. Think about how we learned English back in school. First, you learn your letters, then you form those letters into words, then you learn how to form sentences, and then you learn more about proper syntax and grammar. Taking shortcuts will only slow you down.
Step 3: Use any of the Common Arabic Learning Methods
- Join an Arabic Class
- Hire a Private Arabic Tutor
- Buy Arabic Textbooks
- Use an Arabic Language Learning App.
Learn the Arabic Alphabet:
There are 28 letters in the Arabic alphabet. All but one are consonants. This almost makes the Arabic alphabet an abjad, also known as a vowelless writing system. Arabic is written from right to left. Which may seem complicated at first, but you’ll get used to it very fast.
Here are all 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet to get you started, along with their approximate pronunciation in English.
Learn Common Arabic Words and Phrases:
Learning a foreign language is not about how many words you know. It’s about knowing the right words.
Remember, the more you hear and practice Arabic, the faster you’ll reach fluency. So, immerse yourself in anything Arabic, and in no time you’ll reach fluency.
Do you have any question or comment? Do share with us in the comment section.